No rest for Karlsson

The morning after the night before and Robert Karlsson is already setting about the task of defending his European Order of Merit crown.

The 39-year-old Swede became the Tour’s new number one despite finishing only 32nd out of 57 in the Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

But rather than embarking on wild celebrations – it was no mean feat given runner-up Padraig Harrington won two majors – Karlsson immediately flew from the Costa del Sol to Paris and today arrives in Shanghai to start the new season.

One which next November culminates in the Dubai World Championship, golf’s richest-ever event with £6.2m (€7.89m) up for grabs in the tournament itself and the same amount from a money-list bonus pool.

Not bad work if you can get it in these credit crunch times.

Karlsson topped what from now on will be known as “The Race To Dubai” with £2.17m (€2.76m), £217,000 (€276,000) more than Harrington, who needing to finish first or second in Spain could do no better than joint 13th.

Third-placed Lee Westwood was the one who had the best chance to pip Karlsson on the final day.

The Worksop golfer, who entered hospital this morning to have his tonsils removed, had to win and was sharing top spot after 11 holes of the third round.

But he slipped back to joint fourth and, having failed to win for 14 months, said: “It’s been a year of nearlys and it was nearly again.

“I didn’t feel I was hitting it great all week. I wasn’t straight enough, but I’ve played well all year and I’m pleased about being back in the world’s top 10.”

It is his first time there for five and a half years, and given during that time he slumped outside the top 250, he can take real pride in his comeback.

So, of course, can Karlsson.

Only four years ago he finished 116th on the money list and his undoubted talent – known about on Tour ever since he was runner-up to Nick Faldo in the 1992 European Open at Sunningdale – appeared to be going to waste.

But Karlsson had a cold, hard look at himself, resolved to be not so much of a perfectionist and now he has two Ryder Cup caps and the Harry Vardon Trophy as number one to look at.

“It would have been fantastic to cap it off with a good week, but I’m not going to be ashamed about this week,” he said.

“In the last three and a half years I have taken myself to a new level and this is fantastic.

“But this has been the hardest week I’ve ever experienced in golf. It’s one of those situations where you have it in your own hands, but not really and your focus wanders quite a bit.”

As at the Ryder Cup, Harrington admitted to being not as prepared as he needed to be to give of his best.

But he will not be beating himself up about that.

“I know what this season is going to be remembered for in a week’s time, a month’s time and a year’s time,” said the Open and US PGA champion.

“In the context of the season, it’s not that disappointing.”

Not when you have become the first European to make a successful defence of The Open for more than 100 years and the first since 1930 to land the final major of the season.

That is certain to make him and not Karlsson the winner of the European Golfer of the Year award, voted for by the media next month.

Harrington has long felt the players should be voting for their own trophy too, as happens in America, and at a time when everyone in the sport is sparing a thought for six-time number one Seve Ballesteros, it would be an appropriate moment to start that.

As for the Volvo Masters, it was won by Dane Soren Kjeldsen by two shots from England’s Anthony Wall and German Martin Kaymer.

Kjeldsen was never overtaken from the time he opened with a 65 and took the first prize of £562,485 (€714,746) with an eight-under-par total.

It was only his second Tour title in 310 starts, but a year ago in the same event he lost a play-off to Justin Rose.

He, more than anybody, will be sad this was a farewell to Valderrama. At least for the time being.